Back yard Photographer – Cardinals

A family of cardinals has moved into the field behind my house and I could not be happier.  The opportunities to get pictures of the cardinals are almost endless.

Here’s a few of my most recent pictures:

Tree Top View

Working for some food

Wow this snow is bright!

This fascination/obsession of mine with cardinals has not been a life long thing.   It has only been since this past Summer when I got my camera and noticed the cardinals.  They may have been there all along, but this is the first that I have noticed and paid attention.

A few more pictures:

 

When I got my camera, there were some pictures that I had on my “to capture” list.  Getting a picture of the male cardinal was on that list.  His bright red feathers stand out in any backdrop: Winter snow, Summer green and the browns of Autumn.

Some examples:

The more I tried to get pictures of the male, the more I got to see the female and the beauty she possess.  She doesn’t have the full body of red feathers, but her muted colors stand out on their own.  Her orange beak is vibrant and usually the first thing I notice.  Then her wings and tail feathers have a beautiful, subtle hue.

Here’s a few pictures of this beauty:

 

I’ve learned a few things about these birds as I have worked at getting pictures of them:

•  Their distinctive sound.  I know when they are in the yard or the nearby trees, because I hear their chirp.  That is my queue to get my camera and take some pictures.
• Best time of day to get a picture of a cardinal – Near sunrise or sunset.  Once I knew this little tidbit I would watch for the cardinals at these times.  Almost without fail, the would be near the bird feeder at these times.

If the belief is true:  A sighting of a cardinal is the spirit of a loved one coming to visit, then I am very blessed as I get visited daily.

Hope you are blessed with inspiration and peace.  Have a wonderful day!